These Are The Best Travel Rewards Credit Cards
Word travels fast when it comes to great deals. Nowhere is that more apparent than when you’re talking about travel credit cards that offer substantial cash-back deals and great perks. This type of card, often partnered with hotel chains, airlines, and other travel-related entities, can offer superb benefits that can help your travel dreams take flight. Here are two of the top travel credit cards available in today’s market.
Capital One Venture Rewards
If you’ve never had a travel credit card before, get ready to venture into the world of great bonuses and perks. Flat-rate travel rewards are easily accumulated with the Capital One Venture Rewards card.
As a new cardholder, you’ll snag a 50,000-mile bonus once you spend $3,000 on purchases made in the first three months the account is open. Presto! You’ve just earned $500 in travel rewards. In addition, all of your purchases earn 2X miles, and certain hotel purchases can earn you 10X miles.
There’s no limit on the amount of points you can earn, and you needn’t worry about your rewards expiring — they never will. And no matter where you roam or if you end up far away from home, this card doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees. The annual fee is waived for the first year, but after that you’ll be charged $95 annually.
Chase Sapphire Preferred
Here’s a travel card that packs a lot benefits. For starters, you get a great bonus for just signing up. New members receive 60,000 points after spending $4,000 on purchases in the first three months the account is open, which translates into $750 in travel rewards if redeemed through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal.
You’ll earn 2X points on travel, 1 point on all other purchases, and each point earns an additional 25% more if you use the Chase portal for redemption.
As a Chase Sapphire Preferred cardholder, you can expect to enjoy discounted flights and accommodations with reputable airlines and hotels such as British Airways, United, Southwest, Marriott, Hyatt, and more. The annual fee will cost you $95, but there are no foreign transaction fees.
Reward Yourself Or Rethink?
Travel credit cards can offer great rewards, but before you apply for one, think about the travel and lifestyle choices you make, and whether this type of card will be a boon or a bust. Ask yourself if the rewards offset the cost of the annual fee, or if foreign transaction fees, which can account for up to 3% of every individual transaction made abroad, will take too big a bite out of your rewards.
You might want to consider applying for a co-branded travel credit card that offers rewards at one specific hotel chain or airline that you routinely patronize. In that way, you’ll be certain to enjoy rewards at places and from providers that top your list when it comes to making travel more fabulous and less tedious.